


Dance

by MaurLin



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Not Beta Read, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:48:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaurLin/pseuds/MaurLin
Summary: Finding out identities during battle may have been tough- but so is the third degree after.Once again, inspired by a Discord chat. Really, you guys are FULL of ideas!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 4
Kudos: 176





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> All characters owned by ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

Cat Noir blew out a breath. He was still in shock.

_ Ladybug is Marinette. _

He’d found out who she was (and she had done the same for him) by a crazy, stupid conglomeration of circumstances during their last akuma battle, less than an hour ago. Even now, he wasn’t entirely sure what happened- it had involved a restaurant’s delivery van, one Lucky Charm, one Cataclysm, and a giant jar of kosher dill pickles.

He could still see Ladybug’s-  _ Marinette’s _ \- face as she detransformed, pickle juice streaming across her forehead- her stunned expression as she gazed at Adrien’s own mask-less face, with his head lying in a briny, smelly puddle. The only good thing was that they were sealed in this van- no one else could see in, but the light from the passenger compartment window made it all too plain who they were.

Neither of them could find anything to say, as they waited for their kwamis to recharge. It was just as well; they could hear Alya outside the van, filming the action and wondering where the heroes had gone. Only when she moved away could they transform back and escape the van.

Ladybug was white under her mask, but resolute. “We’ll have to discuss this-later,” she stated. And Cat Noir agreed in principle, but…

After the fight, there had been no time. Besides their miraculouses running out, both of them had other places to be and would be missed if they were away any longer. Ladybug sighed, and said, “I’ll meet you where you set up the surprise. Tonight.” And she swung away.

Cat Noir had vaulted to another roof and looked back; Ladybug was already gone. And he did have to get back to the photo shoot just as soon as he could, since Nino and his bodyguard would probably both be freaking out right now. The thought crossed his mind that he was glad the magic ladybugs had cleaned up all traces of the pungent pickles, because  that would have been even harder to explain than his absence.

The photographer wasn’t having a good day; a couple of vital pieces of equipment had broken, and he was in the middle of replacing a lens. This meant Adrien wasn’t in trouble with him, at least. But Nino…

“Dude! Where’ve you been?”

Adrien scratched the back of his head. Probably best to deflect the question. “Not really sure. Where have  _ you  _ been?”

Nino folded his arms; he looked uncannily like Adrien’s bodyguard, who was standing just a few feet away.

“Seriously, dude, if you’re gonna vanish, at least take your phone so we can call you!”

It wasn’t worth trying to explain that not being called was the point of leaving the phone behind. Clearly, his best friend was in a mood. Just then, Nino got distracted by Alya and Marinette approaching the two of them from a cross-street; Adrien’s heart started racing at seeing Marinette again so soon, but he also had to be grateful that Nino was off his back.

Alya was giving Marinette grief too. “Girl, you always disappear when the good stuff happens! You can’t be that afraid of an akuma after all this time!”

“I-“ Marinette began, but she couldn’t finish before Alya started again.

“You must know every hiding place in Paris, I swear! Even when I follow you, I can’t find you!”

“Wait- you follow me?” Marinette went pale.

Alya shrugged. “Only when you run toward the action.” She narrowed her eyes. “And why would you do that anyway? I mean…” She waved her hands to either side, as if inviting an explanation.

“Uhhh…” Marinette had a cornered look on her face. Adrien decided to help out. After all, that’s what partners do, right?

“I’m sure it’s by accident. I mean, who would run toward trouble on purpose?” He gave Alya a wide grin.

Marinette flashed him a ‘ _ what are you doing?’ _ look, which made him flush a little, but Alya’s attention had been drawn away. The only problem was, this just got Nino back on track.

“You, maybe, dude. Again, where  _ did _ you go just now?” Nino had a look in his eye that meant he was not going to let this go. Adrien scratched the back of his head again- seriously, how did his head get this itchy?

“Uhm, well…” He groped for a response and came up dry.

“He…was…coming to see me,” Marinette squeaked, her face turning pink. Adrien supposed it was true-in a way- but that would only lead to more questions…where was she going with this? “Adrien wanted me to get him a treat from the bakery?”

The way she made it a question let Adrien breathe long enough to think of a response. “Yeah! So, DID your dad have any more of those new macarons?”

“Uh… no, no, he sold out. But I brought you a regular one anyway.” Marinette pulled a cookie out of her purse and handed it to him.  _ Trust Ladybug to have the answer in her purse, _ he thought.

Adrien felt bad about depriving her kwami of a recharge; he tried to ask Marinette if it was really okay with his eyebrows. She gave him a tight, but reassuring smile and nod in response, so he went ahead and put the cookie in his mouth.

Alya and Nino had been watching this whole time, heads bouncing back and forth as if they were spectators at a tennis match. Finally they looked at each other, and Alya spoke up. “Okay.” She pushed her glasses back up on her nose, and folded her arms. “Now tell us- what  really  happened?”

“What?” Adrien was so startled, the word was out of his mouth before he realized that Marinette had said it too. Not to mention half the cookie- Alya had caught him mid-swallow. He coughed for a second while Marinette pounded his back.

At least Alya waited while Nino got a bottle of water. He handed it to Adrien, face neutral. “Obviously, you’re trying to cover for each other, dude. You two might as well tell all now.”

Under cover of sipping the water, Adrien glanced at Marinette. She was wearing a look- he’d seen it on Ladybug before- that meant she was at the end of her rope. Before she said anything either of them would regret, Adrien put his arm around her shoulders. “I guess there’s no hiding it from our best friends, is there, Marinette?” He turned his head toward Marinette enough to wink at her without their friends seeing.

She now had a ' _ you wouldn’t dare!’ _ look on her face, combined with something else he couldn’t interpret. And he wouldn’t have dared, if the two over there would just  _ back off _ . Extreme measures, and all that… “Marinette and I are seeing each other.” He grinned at Alya and Nino.

The stunned expressions on Alya’s and Nino’s faces were worth saying that; the one on Marinette’s… maybe not so much. _Oops._ _I think I broke her…_

But Marinette rallied after a second. “Yeah, there’s no fooling you two.” She put her arm around Adrien’s waist and gave him a squeeze- perhaps a little harder than necessary. Her smile was a bit forced, and Adrien could feel her arm trembling around his waist. “We…just weren’t ready to tell anyone.”

Alya clapped her hands together, and Nino socked Adrien in the arm. “No need to hide it, dude.” He thought for a second, then added, “At least, not from us. Some people in class might get upset, though, so I get it.”

Alya smirked. “No kidding. I can think of at least two people who will hate your guts when this comes out.” She turned to Marinette, and not-quite-whispered in her ear, “So, did you kiss him already?”

Marinette looked ready to explode, but then got a serene smile across her face as she suddenly relaxed. “Oh, yes. A couple of times.”

Now Adrien’s face was burning- after all,  _ he _ didn’t remember those times. But Marinette wasn’t finished. “And I think we’re due for another, right?” Her smile to him this time was half-challenge.

Well, if she wanted to go there, Adrien was more than happy to oblige. He pulled her closer and bent his head as she tilted her face up to meet his lips. The kiss was electric- everything he had ever hoped for and more, and he didn’t want it to end…

Up until he heard the  _ click  _ of the photographer’s camera. He pulled back and gazed wistfully at Marinette, who was turning a vibrant shade of pink. While their faces were so close, she whispered, “We still need to talk. Same time and place.”

“Okay,” he whispered back, letting her go reluctantly.

Naturally, the photographer had tested his camera on the kiss. Adrien really hoped he wouldn’t forget this one, but at least someone had captured it again. He went back to work, as Alya and Marinette disappeared in the direction of the bakery.

He couldn’t wait for tonight.


	2. Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a day like that...we need to talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters owned by ZAG and Thomas Astruc.
> 
> Sort of a little bonus to the first part.

As he vaulted over roofs toward his destination, Cat Noir had some second thoughts about this entire situation. His gut was in knots, and his heart was no longer sure of anything.

It had been crazy enough finding out- however accidentally- who his Ladybug was. But the added stress of Nino and Alya’s inquisition had made it much crazier. Now he didn’t know at all, how Ladybug- Marinette- would react.

Given that he had rejected her as Marinette before- and that she had rejected him when she was Ladybug more than once- and that she had even said she didn’t have a crush on him- and that he had called her ‘just a friend’ for so long-

Really, he’d be surprised if they came out of this situation still friends, much less anything else. He didn’t want to lose that friendship, or the possibility of more.

Cat Noir arrived on the rooftop; he thought at first that he had beaten Ladybug there, but then he saw her sitting on the roof and leaning against the rail. She was hugging her knees and staring at the sky.

Much as he wanted to go over and kiss her, he could tell that she didn’t want that right now. In fact, her face had an expression that was difficult to read, but every emotion in it made him feel that she would rather be alone. His heart sank.

Finally, Ladybug spoke. “I’m sorry, Cat Noir.”

Cat Noir was startled. Of all the things he’d expected her to say, an apology wasn’t one of them. “Sorry? What for?”

She sighed. “A lot of things…but mostly this afternoon.”

He hadn’t thought the afternoon was that bad. “Why?” He sat down next to her. “I should be apologizing to you, for making up that story for Alya and Nino.”

It was Ladybug’s turn to blink. “Why should you apologize for that? I was the one who pushed you into that kiss,” she slumped a little, “even though I know you don’t really feel that way about me.”

“Hey- you didn’t make me do it. And I’ve told you how I feel about you, milady.”

She exploded to her feet. “That’s just it! You feel that way about  _ Ladybug _ ! Not about Marinette! I’ve heard you!” She hugged herself, as if trying to hold in the pain. “And- and I- pushed you away- when I could’ve- and-“ Ladybug was gulping back tears now. “It’s- all messed up. I messed up…”

Cat Noir couldn’t stand this. He got up and put his hand on her shoulder. “Yeah, maybe you did. But so did I.”

“You can’t mess up…” came the soft voice between the sobs.

“ ‘Can’t’?” He thought of how often Ladybug ended up fighting him along with the akuma. “I’ve tripped over my own tail a few times, as both Cat Noir and Adrien. So you’re not the only one.”

“But I- wasn’t honest with you- either of you,” Ladybug said, hunching her shoulders and turning away. “You didn’t deserve that; I was just so embarrassed- and scared-“ She looked down at her feet. “I’m not really as brave as you think I am.”

Cat Noir smiled. “Sure you are. Look-“ he tried to think of a way to explain. “I’m- I mean,  _ Cat Noir- _ is a little impulsive, right? Jumps into things before he’s ready?” She looked up at him and nodded, but with a confusion on her face that said  _ where is this going? _ “That’s not me- not  _ Adrien _ me, or at least the person I’m allowed to be. Being Cat Noir lets me play a little; be someone I wouldn’t be allowed to be normally. But it’s still part of who I am.”

He pulled her into a one-armed hug across her shoulders. “That’s kind of what I mean for you. You  _ are _ brave. And talented, and smart, and all those other awesome things. You just wouldn’t know it, because you wouldn’t use it as much if you weren’t Ladybug.”

Ladybug looked up at Cat Noir from under her bangs. “You really think that?”

“Of course.” He smiled down at her.

She put her arms around his chest and hugged him tightly; reflexively, he put his arms around her too. “And you always know how to make me feel better about myself. That’s one thing I love about you.”

Cat Noir was stunned. “Wait-what? You love me?” He couldn’t believe his ears.

Ladybug nodded, head buried in his chest. “See, I’m  _ not _ brave. I never had the guts to tell you I’d fallen in love with you- Adrien you- the day after we met. And I was so embarrassed when my crush came out on TV, I couldn’t even admit it then. And when I finally decided to try, I kept messing it up.” She sighed. “I can’t believe you even still like me.”

He laughed, and planted a kiss on the top of her head. “Well, I do. I love you, too- whether you believe it or not.”

She lifted her head to gaze at him in wonder- as much wonder as he was feeling right then. How this marvelously crazy girl could love him- his heart was above the clouds. It only seemed right to kiss her again.

And then they spent hours just talking and being together. Cat Noir was happier than he could ever remember being; even with Hawkmoth still a threat, even with all the craziness that came with being Adrien Agreste- he now had someone to share everything with. And he wouldn’t change her for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Discord chats are the gifts that keep on giving. Every time I turn around, someone's got a new idea. Now if I can just keep up...
> 
> I wrote this sometime after Puppeteer 2. So anything shown after does not (necessarily) apply.
> 
> Comment/ rant/ speak like no one's listening below. (I am, though. Always listening...)

**Author's Note:**

> Discord chat rooms are really a great place for ideas.
> 
> L: I wonder if when they discover their identities, they have to cover for each other?  
> M: (rummages for pen- sorry, I have to work out the direction of my fics on paper first)
> 
> There's a bonus scene after; for some reason,the story didn't feel finished. So, that will show up soon.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this bout of craziness. Comments/ thoughts/ critiques and kudos always welcome!


End file.
